DELARAM, Afghanistan (Reuters)  Hundreds of U.S. Marines were engaged in a second day of fighting on Monday with Taliban insurgents as they tried to clear a militant stronghold in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, U.S. officials said.

Thirteen insurgents were killed in the early hours of Monday when the Marines called in a Hellfire missile strike from an unmanned Predator drone, U.S. Marine Major Dale Highberger, second in command of the operation, said.

Around 10,000 U.S. Marines moved into Helmand in spring last year, more than doubling the numbers of other NATO forces in the province, who had reached what military commanders called a "stalemate" with the Taliban, unable to hold the ground they had seized from the insurgents.

Since they arrived, the Marines have been pushing into Taliban-controlled areas, setting up smaller patrol bases amongst the towns and villages to try and separate the insurgents from the population, a key element of the top commander of foreign forces, U.S.Army General Stanley McChrystal's new war strategy.

An Afghan man on a motorbike passes U.S. Marines from India Company, 3rd Battalion 4th Marines, as they patrol in the small town of Delaram in Nimroz province, southern Afghanistan January 10, 2010. REUTERS/Marko Djurica (AFGHANISTAN - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT IMAGES OF THE DAY)

US Marines patrol Lakari in Afghanistan's restive Helmand Province. The war in Afghanistan claimed the life of a second journalist in 10 days when an explosion killed a British reporter out on patrol with US Marines, officials said Sunday. (AFP/File/Manpreet Romana)

Around 10,000 U.S. Marines moved into Helmand in spring last year, more than doubling the numbers of other NATO forces in the province, who had reached what military commanders called a "stalemate" with the Taliban, unable to hold the ground they had seized from the insurgents. Since they arrived, the Marines have been pushing into Taliban-controlled areas, setting up smaller patrol bases amongst the towns and villages to try and separate the insurgents from the population, a key element of the top commander of foreign forces, U.S.Army General Stanley McChrystal's new war strategy.

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